Central African Republic - Imports of goods and services (% of GDP)

Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) in Central African Republic was 35.79 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 60 years was 46.98 in 2018, while its lowest value was 18.00 in 2003.

Definition: Imports of goods and services represent the value of all goods and other market services received from the rest of the world. They include the value of merchandise, freight, insurance, transport, travel, royalties, license fees, and other services, such as communication, construction, financial, information, business, personal, and government services. They exclude compensation of employees and investment income (formerly called factor services) and transfer payments.

Source: World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.

See also:

Year Value
1960 34.18
1961 35.76
1962 37.70
1963 38.49
1964 40.80
1965 37.67
1966 42.53
1967 46.90
1968 39.63
1969 37.60
1970 41.56
1971 37.42
1972 33.81
1973 36.49
1974 43.34
1975 39.92
1976 29.33
1977 34.32
1978 33.89
1979 35.13
1980 41.08
1981 34.06
1982 34.22
1983 36.62
1984 35.50
1985 31.64
1986 28.62
1987 28.55
1988 25.05
1989 26.46
1990 25.88
1991 26.12
1992 26.36
1993 22.89
1994 25.02
1995 28.25
1996 25.61
1997 28.93
1998 28.39
1999 23.99
2000 25.29
2001 22.57
2002 20.15
2003 18.00
2004 19.25
2005 21.71
2006 22.08
2007 23.47
2008 23.43
2009 21.65
2010 22.80
2011 21.35
2012 21.51
2013 23.43
2014 36.42
2015 36.08
2016 35.71
2017 39.88
2018 46.98
2019 35.79
2020 35.79

Limitations and Exceptions: Because policymakers have tended to focus on fostering the growth of output, and because data on production are easier to collect than data on spending, many countries generate their primary estimate of GDP using the production approach. Moreover, many countries do not estimate all the components of national expenditures but instead derive some of the main aggregates indirectly using GDP (based on the production approach) as the control total. Data on exports and imports are compiled from customs reports and balance of payments data. Although the data from the payments side provide reasonably reliable records of cross-border transactions, they may not adhere strictly to the appropriate definitions of valuation and timing used in the balance of payments or corresponds to the change-of ownership criterion. This issue has assumed greater significance with the increasing globalization of international business. Neither customs nor balance of payments data usually capture the illegal transactions that occur in many countries. Goods carried by travelers across borders in legal but unreported shuttle trade may further distort trade statistics.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: Gross domestic product (GDP) from the expenditure side is made up of household final consumption expenditure, general government final consumption expenditure, gross capital formation (private and public investment in fixed assets, changes in inventories, and net acquisitions of valuables), and net exports (exports minus imports) of goods and services. Such expenditures are recorded in purchaser prices and include net taxes on products.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Economic Policy & Debt Indicators

Sub-Topic: National accounts